Jockey Irad Ortiz, with lingering foot injury, will miss remainder of Saratoga meet
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., dealing with a nagging foot injury, will not ride again at Saratoga this summer, and is now pointing to a Sept. 3 return at Kentucky Downs, according to his agent Steve Rushing.
That means Ortiz will not be able to ride Renegade in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Tyler Gaffalione has been named to ride Renegade, according to trainer Todd Pletcher.
Ortiz injured his foot in a pre-race incident on Aug. 8 in which his mount ran off with him in the post parade and pinned his foot against the outside rail. Due to swelling and pain in his foot, Ortiz took off for two weeks with the hopes of returning to ride Counting Stars in Saturday’s Grade 1 Alabama.
On Friday, Ortiz attempted to get on horses in the morning in Saratoga, but he was still in pain and could not put a horse through a workout. Ortiz took off his three mounts Saturday and four on Sunday. Ortiz was named on three horses for Wednesday’s card at Saratoga, but will not ride those either.
Rushing said that Ortiz visited a doctor on Saturday morning. X-rays and an MRI did not reveal any structural damage to the foot. Rushing said the doctor told him he could go back to riding when he felt up to it.
Kentucky Downs, with the most lucrative purse schedule in racing, runs seven days - Aug. 29, 30 and Sept. 3,5,6,7 and 9. As of Sunday, Rushing said he expects to take entries Thursday for the Sept. 3 card and see how Ortiz feels by then.
Ortiz, a seven-time leading rider at Saratoga, won 30 races at this meet. On July 25, he became just the fourth jockey to win six races on a Saratoga card, a feat that was matched by Manny Franco on Aug. 7.
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